This invention relates to musical instruments, and more particularly to devices secured to a valved musical instrument such as a trumpet for retaining the little finger or pinky of the musician operator while the instrument is being played.
Valved musical instruments, such as a trumpet, typically include a finger hook or ring adjacent the valves for being engaged by the little finger or pinky of an operator musician. Such a device assists the operator in holding the instrument when played, while at the same time the device helps to secure the musician's pinky in such manner as to maintain it stationary with respect to the remaining fingers on the musician's hand. Because tendons between adjacent fingers, especially between the pinky and the third finger, tend to cause involuntary movement of other fingers upon voluntary movement of only one finger, an unconstrained pinky would result in the musician not having as much control of his three valve fingers as he would like.
With respect to a valved instrument such as a trumpet or cornet, the prior art includes a pinky ring or hook soldered or welded to the instrument's mouthpipe forwardly of the third valve. As used herein, the term "trumpet" is meant to include a trumpet as well as valved musical instruments resembling a trumpet such as a cornet. Although such prior art pinky retaining devices are effective aids for holding the trumpet and for maintaining the musician's pinky stationary relative to his valve fingers, many musicians have experienced finger discomfort, irritation and fatigue when using such devices. Efforts to mitigate such problems have taken the form of applying cushioning material to the pinky-engaging surface of such prior art finger rings and hooks, with generally inconsistent results.